As I followed the girl, Cilla, I quickly realized what I knew as a spirit was irrelavent to what I was currently experiencing. The pressure of air on my skin, wind, causing me to shiver in response to its chilly touch. This lack of heat, of comfort, was strange and my new physical body did not respond well to it. Shivering, my body's attempt to warm itself, did little as I continued to follow Cilla into a small cluster of builiding.

"Terran, are you alright?" I looked at Cilla who had paused and turned to look at me. The girl stood a few inches shorter then me and her long light brown hair fell to her mid back. Some of it was tucked behind her left ear while on the right side, her hair dared to cover up her aqua colored eyes.

"Yes though warmth would be most appreciated." I answered.

Cilla raised an eyebrow before nodding and walking towards a small building just inside the small, snow covered town. "This is our first stop. We should be able to find a coat for you here. Then I need to pick up some groceries."

I nodded as she entered the building and quickly followed. I founding myself sighing in relief at the warmth that the small shop held and notice a dancing fire over to one side of the room. As Cilla went to talk to the shop keeper, I walked towards the fire, itrigued by the visible energy and the heat that radiated from it.

Knelling before it, I watched the fire continue to flicker and dance in the stone fireplace. It was interesting for watch, its shape never remaining constant as it continued to consume the wood below it and release heat. The heat was most welcome compared to the lack of it that I had just experienced but as I continued to sit close by the fire, I noticed that moisture begain to bead on my skin and I gained another feeling of discomfort. I decided to move away from the fire but not before I inspected it once more. Without hesitation, I reached out to the flame only to pull my hand back instantly as a sharp intense sensation raced through my finger tips.

So this is pain? Interesting.

"Terran! What are you doing?!" I looked back at Cilla, wondering why she had yelled at me. She looked at me in shock before sighing and shaking her head. "Forget it, just get over here."

I was confused by her sudden change in behavior but stood up and walked towards her none the less. An older human woman behind the counter of the store looked at me curiously before her eyes began to scan my torso.

"Hmmmm, I think I have something just his size." the woman commented before disappearing through a door to the back room only to reappear a moment later with a thick tan leather coat. She held it out towards me but I didn't grab it. "Try it on."

Slowly, I took the coat from the woman and carefully slid my arms into the designated holes and finding that the article was quite comfortable and more importantly, warm. I also noted that a pair of gloves and a hat had been provided for added warmth. "It is most effective."

"I think that means he likes it." Cilla said at the shop keeper's confused expression. The elderly woman nodded and smiled as Cilla handed her a few crinked paper rectangles. "Thank you."

"Anytime. You two take care now." The woman responded as Cilla turned towards the door and I followed.

From the clothing store, we went to the nearby food store, which was much larger then the previous shop. As Cilla wandered through the aisles, I remember that food was nessacary in the living world while in the Lifestream, it was merely a comfort, as was sleep as well as several actions that were much more personal from what I understood. I had much to learn if I was to fit in and maintain myself here in this world.

Finally, Cilla had several brown paper bags filled with edible items and once more handed the paper rectangles to the store owner.

"Terran, can you help me carry this?" Cilla asked, picking up two of the bags and leaving two more on the counter. I nodded and quickly took the remaining bags into my arms and like before, followed her back into the snow. "Um, I hate to be a bother but could you possibly help me take these home. In exchange, you can stay with me for the night and then we can finish getting you settled tomorrow."

"Shelter would be very much appreciated." Cilla gave me another odd look, one that I seemed to be getting a lot but started walking back towards where we had first entered Icicle Village.

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What's up with him? Why doesn't he seem to want to show emotion? Terran confused me. He had a strange sense of curiousity but was oddly, closed off, seeming to not show emotion. He didn't make a sound when he stuck his hand in the fire. Oh well, at least I was finally going home. I was worried about Kari.Luckily, home wasn't far away and I was soon entering the warm, comforting building that was home.

"Kari! I'm home!" I shouted, though the messy living room into the somewhat more organized kitchen. Terran followed me and set the bags he was carrying on the dining table. "Thank you Terran." The strange blue eyed man only nodded. "Hey, could you put the groceries away while I check on my sister? It'll only be a minute."

Terran nodded again. Smiling at him, I left the kitchen and headed towards Kari's room. Slowly opening the door, I slipped into the room and smiled when I saw that my little sister was sleeping peacefully. I carefully tucked her blanket around her before quietly leaving the room again.

When I returned to the kitchen, I relieved to know that Terran had enough sense to put the cold food in the freezer or the frig. I was surprised to find that he had been to organize my cabniets, something I had never taken the task to do. I noticed that every item he moved, he look at and read the label before putting it in its new location. Despite the confusion he seemed to show, I was shocked at his sense of organization. Terran definately was a mystery.

"Terran?" He paused and looked at me. "You're cetran aren't you?" He nodded. "Really? Wow, what are the chances. I never thought that I'd see another Cetra this far north."

"Is that so?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, so many of us have fallen to that virus the Calamity released when she came here." I explained before sighing sadly. "Kari and I lost our parents because of it and now Kari is sick. I don't know how much longer she will last." Terran didn't say anything. "Would you like to meet her?" I noticed an interested look in his eyes as he nodded. "Come on."

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Kari loved Terran when she met him, so much in fact that she asked him to stay. I think she did that partially for me since I knew that even in her condition, she worried about me as much as I worried about her. It took a while to get use to him living with us but his help and organizations skills were greatly appreciated and he soon was starting to open up. One of the biggest accomplishments happened almost a month after I had met him. Terran smiled. At first he denied it but eventually gave in and he was almost constantly smiling, seeming to enjoy his time here. I soon realized that since I had met him, I had become, overall, happier. This stranger was begining to mean something to me and I now hoped that he would continue to stay with us.

Also about that time, he decided to get a job to help support us. Working outside of the house seemed to help open him up even more though he still didn't seem to grasp some concepts of emotions, something that I had always found interesting about him. His job also allowed us to live a slightly more comfortable life though it was still constantly on edge as Kari got sicker as the weeks went by. I knew she couldn't hold out much longer but her death still caught me off gaurd.

"Kari," I said quietly, entering her room. She stayed silent and looked like she was still asleep but something was wrong. She wasn't breathing. "Kari! Kari! Wake up!" I gently shook her shoulders, hoping that she was faking but I knew she would never pull a joke so cruel. "Kari!"

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I awoke to the sound of Cilla's shouts. I was instantly to me feet, worrying if she was ok. My mind flashed to Kari as I heard Cilla scream her name and dread settled into the pit of my stomach, something that I wasn't used to. Rushing to Kari's room, where the cries were originating, I saw Cilla crying, hugging the unmoving body of her sister. I knew what had happened and felt a feeling of relief for Kari, who was now free of the pain her disease caused her.

"Terran, she's gone." Cilla sobbed, looking back at me and still continuing to hold the body tightly. "Kari's gone..." Tears streamed down her face and I felt a mix of emotions race through me, some of which I was unfamilary with. I had the strange urge to comfort her but ignored the feeling and relied instead on the relief I had felt earlier.

"She has returned to the Lifestream." I said simply, unsure of really how to react in this situation. Cilla sobbed, looking at me in shock and then anger.

"Is that all you can say?! I thought you loved Kari?!" Cilla screamed.

"It is true I cared for her but she has returned to the planet."

"How can you say that?!" Cilla shouted, gently setting the body back on the bed before standing up and standing in front of me till she was shouting in my face. "She loved you and all you can say is that she's gone to the Lifestream! Didn't she mean anything to you?!" Completely shocked by her behavior, I said nothing which ultimately just angered her more. "Asshole! Get the hell out of my house!"

I stared blankly at Cilla, shocked and confused. "What?"

"You heard me you bastard! I said leave!" Cilla huffed. Her words hurt for some reason but she wanted me to leave so thats what I would do.

Backing away from the screaming woman, I quietly grabbed my coat and left, wondering why she didn't feel the same relief I did knowing that Kari was no longer in pain.

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I couldn't believe he had actually left. I had expected him to argue back or try to defend himself but instead he left without a word, just as I had told him too. Tears still streaming down my face, I turned back to Kari, knowing that now I would have to prepare her funeral.

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A few days later, Kari was buried. Terran was there but didn't say anything, in fact, I tried to avoid him. I was grateful that he had the decency to pay his last respects to my sister who had thought the world of him. To my surprise, he placed her favorite book beside the small headstone, one that Kari had often asked him to read to her. He looked at the stone for moment, almost in a trance before looking at me, but I looked away. When I did dare a glance in his direction, he was gone.

"Cilla," I jumped in shock and turned to face Terran who had somehow snuck up behind me. "Can I speak with you?"

hehe, I know its moving kinda fast this chapter but don't worry. Theres still much more to come! Read and Review please!